NEWS

Mike Bryan wins 100th ATP doubles title

Mike Bryan produced a major milestone this weekend, becoming the first player to win 100 ATP World Tour doubles titles.

The historic moment came Sunday in the final of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, when he and twin brother Bob defeated Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Marcelo Melo of Brazil, 6-3, 3-6, [10-8]. It also marked the 98th title that the Bryan Brothers have won together as a team, extending their team record.

Jimmy Connors is the only other men’s player in the Open era to win more than 100 tournaments in a single discipline, having won 109 ATP singles titles during his career.

“It’s amazing to hit triple digits,” Mike told the ATP website. “It's a great milestone to say that you have a hundred. … It will feel a lot better when we do it as a team. We’ve always looked at our career as team titles, doing it together. That’s the huge goal for this year, to do it together.”

Mike’s lone titles with other partners came in 2002, when he won in Nottingham, England, with Mark Knowles of the Bahamas, and in Long Island, N.Y., with Mahesh Bhupathi of India.

The Bryan brothers are turning 36 next week, but they’re already in line to produce one of their most dominant years ever. They are currently riding a 21-match winning streak and have won their last five tournaments together, three of which have been Masters Series events (Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo).

The brothers will once again be the favorites to defend their title this year at the French Open, which they’ve won twice (2003, 2013) and finished runner-up three times (2005, 2006, 2012). Mike also won the French Open mixed doubles title in 2003 with Lisa Raymond, while Bob won it in 2008 with Victoria Azarenka in 2008 and in 2009 with Liezel Huber.

The brothers were scheduled to play again this week at the ATP event in Barcelona, Spain, but pulled out due to Bob suffering a shoulder injury.